


Oh How Heavy A Crown

by holdyourbreathfornow



Category: A Way Out - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Harassment, Hypothermia, I say as I plan a wedding sequel, Leo’s an assassin trying to provide for his son, M/M, Minor Character Death, Near Death, Power Couple, Romantic buildup, Royalty AU, Slight physical violence (not shown), Vincent is a lonely king, god bless it's done, not shown, now I can move on!!!, shown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14308107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdyourbreathfornow/pseuds/holdyourbreathfornow
Summary: “They say there’s a plot to kill me.”  Vincent looks vaguely unimpressed, like this is an average weekend for him.“Really?”  Leo desperately tries not to think about the knife hiding under his pillow.OrA king and the assassin hired to kill him might just have a different destiny than what’s planned.





	1. The Job

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is dedicated to gurenmonster on tumblr, who actually semi-inspired this. Love you Guren!

“In the art gallery of the King of Monroevia’s castle, there is a painting said to be more beautiful than every other painting there combined. But it brings the King such pain that he keeps it constantly covered with a cloth made from the purest silk in the land.”

“If it’s so pretty, why does he hide it, Momma?”

“Because, baby, some beautiful things hurt sad people in their heart and eventually they get tired of being hurt. Can I continue my story?”

“Yeah, Momma.”

“Anyway, the story goes that the King once had a Queen who was beautiful, wise, and made him happy. True Love, like they tell you about in the stories. And they had a baby on the way! So there was rejoicing through the kingdom as everybody prepared for the arrival of the baby.”

“But somethin’ went wrong, didn’t it, Momma?”

“I’ve told you this story too much, huh, kiddo? But yeah. The Queen became very sick and she and the baby both went over the Great Bridge, leaving the King all alone. Now can you tell me what that painting was?”

“It’s the Queen with the baby belly, walking in the Royal Gardens!”

“Good job, kiddo. Now, it’s bedtime. Goodnight, baby.”

“Momma?”

“Yeah?”

“Will the King ever find True Love again?”

“I hope so, baby. Goodnight.”

-

The kingdom of Monroevia was famed for the kindness of her King. However, no matter how kind the king was, he would always have enemies. One such group of them sat conversing quietly in a pub.

“He has to die. There’s no question. Then we can put the Boss on the throne.”

“Well, yeah, but who’s gonna do it? None of our boys have the patience to wait and gain the King’s trust, and he’s too well-guarded to do somethin’ simple, like a sniper.” Silence fell over the group for a minute as a group of dancers came wandering onstage to raucous, drunken applause. Once it had quieted down, the third man grabbed the other two by the backs of their necks and hauled them in closer to him.

“Boys… I know just the man for the job.”

“You mean… The Lion?” One of the men broke away from the hold and took a large gulp from his tankard. “Man, you know he’s patient enough, but if he and the Boss still haven’t let go of that bad blood between them…”

“He’s a good assassin. He’ll focus on the job, not the employer. Now shut up, I’m watching the girls.” The three got roaring drunk, like most men in the city did on the beginning of the weekends, and went home, collapsing in the living room of one of their houses. When they woke up, they took a moment to bemoan their hangovers before they gathered around a phone and dialed a number. It rang once… Twice… And three times before the person on the other end finally picked it up.

“Hello?” The voice was gruff, and definitely masculine. The biggest man of the bunch shushed the other two before clearing his throat.

“Lion? It’s Wolf.”

“I told you not to contact me.” The man on the other end fairly growled, and Wolf must have sensed him about to forcefully end the conversation because he cried out in desperation.

“Wait! Leo, buddy! It’s just one job.”

“I’m not working under Harvey, Oswald. You remember-?”

“Hell yeah I remember what happened, Leo. And I’m not asking you to.” At that, the other two men listening in on the conversation glanced at each other, holding a silent conversation as they wondered what the hell Wolf was talking about. They’d gotten the assignment from the Boss, now here he was, telling Lion that the Boss had no clue what was going down?

“Bull.” And obviously Lion knew it too. There was silence for a moment and Wolf went to pull the phone away from his ear and place it back on the receiver when Lion sighed tiredly. “Tell me about the job.”

“We can’t tell you everything, ‘cause we don’t have all the details worked out yet. But if you’re in, we’re gonna get you a job at the castle. Dunno how long you’ll be there, but we need you close to the King.”

“This already sounds like a mess. I’m guessing no one else is willing to do it?”

“I’m sure we could find someone if you really don’t wanna-”

“Don’t guilt trip me, moron. I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t already in, and you know it.”

“Leo, you’re the best!”

“Code names, Wolfy. And don’t screw this up, I got my kid to think of.” Triumphantly, Wolf slammed the phone back onto the receiver and beamed at the other two men sitting with him.

“Boys… We did it.”

“As long as he and Boss don’t kill each other, Wolf.”

“Don’t worry, Leopard! As long as we keep those two out of each other’s site, everything’ll be just peachy.”

-

Across town, Leo Caruso sighed at his telephone receiver, standing in the kitchen portion of his one-room home. His son Alex lay on his bed, a hole built into the wall with a mattress inside and a curtain for privacy, coloring some paper. He glanced up when Leo sighed and shimmied his way out of the hole, walking towards his dad with the paper gripped to his chest.

“What you got there, kid?” Leo crouched to meet his son’s eyes and his son crowded into his arms, turning so he could look at his own drawing with his father. It showed Alex and a woman with long black hair standing on top of a roof, eating bread as people ran below them with swords. “Is this what you did with Momma during your visit?”

“Yeah.” There was a moment’s hesitation as Leo pinned the drawing to the fridge before Alex spoke up again. “Why did you and Momma split up?”

“Well…” Leo considered his answer for a moment, distracting his kid by sweeping him into the air and tickling him along his ribs before plopping them both by the fireplace. “Your Momma and I are real good friends, kid. But just because we’re good friends doesn’t mean we’re in love. Momma had her eye on a pretty chicky from out of town and I wasn’t about to stop her. But we still get along, don’t we?”

“Yep!” Alex squirmed until he was sitting on his dad’s chest and smiled down at Leo. “Dad, do you have your eye on any chicks?”

“Nah, kid. Your big ol’ dad’s not lookin’ for love right now.”

“But what if it finds you anyway?”

“Let’s wait until that actually happens. Then we’ll go from there.”

“Did you get another job when you were talking on the phone?”

“Dang, conversation shift, much? But yeah. That means you get to go visit Momma again, though.”

“Yay!” As Leo hugged his son to his chest, he watched the fire flickering in front of him and pursed his lips in thought.

“Yeah, yay…”


	2. To Start At The Beginning (Not So Hard After All)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love I got on the first chapter! I’m excited to bring you Chapter 2! Slight trigger warning for some sexual harassment and physical violence, so please be careful.

Leo met up with Wolf and his two pet morons the next day around noon, after he had dropped Alex off with Linda (and been interrogated by her in terms of the job he had accepted).  He felt their eyes on him as he slowly entered the pub they had set as the meeting place. Those three were usually plastered, so Leo was almost surprised when Wolf actually seemed sober.  His bigger companion was halfway through a tankard, so the term of sobriety couldn’t apply to the other two. 

 

“So tell me more about the job.”  Leo began, sliding into a chair and pulling the bowl of bar peanuts towards him.  Wolf’s mouth twisted into a grimace before he reached into a pocket inside his coat and slapped a wallet on the table in front of Leo.  Opening it, Leo found his own face on a fake ID, claiming he was Leo Bianchi, from a town on the very edge of the kingdom. He folded it shut and slid it inside his own jacket.  “Wolf, much as I appreciate the ID, I need you to tell me what I am actually doing for the mission itself.”

 

“Well, the plan’s still in development, so all you need to know is that you need to get close to the king.  Now, we can’t get you a position high up in the castle, so you’ll have to make your own way. You got it?”

 

“Contrary to your boss’ beliefs, I do know how to do a job, Wolf.”  The bigger man rolled his eyes and stole the tankard from his pet, draining the rest of it in one long drag and thumping it back onto the table.  

 

“Never said you didn’t, Lion.  Just remember: This is a job, no matter what emotions of yours may get in the way.  You can’t start missing your kid and just walk away.”

 

“Oh, go get drunk.”  Leo pushed away from the table and left the bar, stopping in the street to stare at the tall spires of the castle in the distance.  “Christ, what did I get myself into?”

 

-

 

“Get up, maggots, the King wants the castle in prime condition, which means your lazy arses ain’t gonna be sleeping in till the daisies outside his windows bloom!”  The sound of crashing pans startled Leo awake from a dream he couldn’t remember, all he could remember was that there had been a waterfall. He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around blearily.  The servant’s quarters of Monroevia Castle were certainly nice enough, but the same could not be said for the people in charge of them. “Bianchi, your squad’s on windows!” Leo nodded at the overseer and rolled off the bed, scrubbing his hands down his face and sighing deep enough to rattle his bones awake.  

 

The servants of Monroevia Castle were split into squads, each one assigned a different task to do that day depending on how well the overseer looked down on them that day.  Thankfully for Leo, he knew how to keep his head down and his mouth shut, even when his stomach boiled with so much rage at the mistreatment that it made him physically sick.  And he was quick enough to teach that particular skill to the others in his group, as well. 

 

They were cleaning the windows of the main foyer of the castle when Leo thought he heard a heated conversation down one of the halls.  He signaled to one of his boys that he was taking a break and lowered himself from the unsafe harness, heart jumping to a new speed when the rope holding him slipped for a split second.  Once he was securely on the ground, he headed down the corridor the noise was coming from, stopping to peer around a corner. The overseer had a woman cornered against the wall, leering down at her chest as she glared at him venomously.  

 

“C’mon, sweetheart, I’m sure His Royal Jackass has… Propositioned you before.”

 

“No, because he’s actually a good man.”  The woman tried to squirm past the man, but he grabbed her and was about to slam her against the wall when Leo cleared his throat.

 

“Uh, buddy, why don’t you let the woman go.”

 

“Get back to work, Bianchi.  This is none of your business.”

 

“You made it my business.  Now let the lady go and back the hell off.”  The overseer glared at Leo as he let the woman squirm past him and run a little ways away from both of them, pausing to watch whatever happened next.  “There, now was that so hard?”

 

“You’re gonna regret interfering.”  The overseer growled and suddenly ran towards Leo, hands thrown out to seize him around the throat.  Leo dodged to the left, sticking a foot out so the overseer stumbled, arms pin-wheeling as he desperately tried to regain his balance.  Before he could, however, Leo placed both hands between the overseer’s shoulder blades and pushed, sending the overseer down until he smacked his head against the stone floor and passed out cold.  Leo panted for breath and turned to the woman, who stood staring at him with wide eyes.

 

“Ma’am, you okay?”

 

“Yes, thank you, Mr…?”

 

“Oh, I’m Leo Bianchi.  I’m just a servant.”

 

“You’re not ‘just’ anything.”  The woman smiled and held out her hand for Leo to shake, which he did with a dip of his head.  “Especially not after that mess. I’m Emily Morano, one of the King’s advisors.” Leo’s eyes widened and he ducked into a hasty bow.

 

“I’m sorry for my insolence, ma’am.”  

 

“Oh, don’t be stupid.”  Emily pushed at Leo’s shoulders until he straightened up, though he still refused to meet her eyes.  “Listen… Meet me here tonight after sundown. Do whatever you have to to get away, just be here.”

 

“We’re not allowed to leave at night.”  Leo gestured over his shoulder to where the overseer was still sprawled on the ground, drooling on the stones.  “But I don’t think he’s going to stop me. I’ll see you then.” Emily grinned at him as he left before her gaze flickered to the overseer crumpled on the stones and she sighed wearily.

 

-

 

Leo could see the sunset through the windows of the dorm and as everybody else lay down in their cots, he turned on his side and stared out at the sinking sun.  His chest still ached and he didn’t have time to bandage what the overseer had done to him: Whipped him with his own belt as all the other workers watched and cringed in sympathy.  Leo couldn't say he was surprised. There was no way he was going to regret saving Emily from the overseer’s slimy grip, even if blood was beginning to leak through his only clean shirt.  Once the sun was down, he slinked out of the dorms, glad the overseer was getting himself roaring drunk to forget the day’s humiliation, and headed to the main foyer. Emily stood at the entrance of the hallway she and Leo had met in, and was conversing quietly with a man who Leo recognized instantly as the king.  His back was to Leo, but he could tell that he was taller than him, with broad shoulders and a steady stance. 

 

“Here he is now.”  Emily met Leo’s eye and he stopped where he stood, bowing to the king when he turned to face him.  “Your Majesty, Leo Bianchi, a window cleaner. Leo, this is King Vincent Moretti.”

 

“You can just call me Vincent, though.”  Leo finally straightened up and met Vincent’s eye for the first time.  His smile was kind, if a little sad, and the hand he shook Leo’s with was firm and calloused.  “I wanted to thank you for helping Emily. I never realized how much of a scumbag my-” Vincent paused as Leo dropped his hand and his gaze dropped down to Leo’s shirt, where blood was still oozing through the fabric sluggishly.  “Leo… What happened?”

 

“My punishment for helping Miss Emily.”  Leo muttered and coughed into his hand to dispel the awkward silence following his announcement of the cause of his wounds.  “Uh, the overseer whipped me with my own belt. It’s the worst thing he’s done, but not by much.” At that, he laughed weakly, but Vincent’s eyes were flaming with righteous anger.

 

“Emily, first thing in the morning, I want that overseer brought to me.  Summon the doctor.” Vincent reached out and laid a hand on Leo’s shoulder, locking the two’s gazes.  “Don’t worry. This won’t happen again. I won’t let it.” And in some distant corner of Leo’s mind, he looked at the king standing before him, who was willing to become indignant on a mere servant’s mistreatment, and Leo realized exactly why Monroevia was so famed:  For the kindness of her king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked, lemme know. You can come say hi on Tumblr under the same username! Bye!


	3. In Negotiation, A King Should Not Always Bow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to Kissun13 who guessed the addition of a certain brother. Good job, dude.

Leo winced as the doctor bound his ribs with gauze and taped them in place.  

 

“Tell me again how this happened.”  Vincent sat in a chair across from Leo and the doctor Vincent had had summoned, watching Leo wince and curse his way through the doctor’s ministrations.  “Just so I know how angry to be with the overseer.” 

 

“He bound me to a chair, removed my belt, and whipped me with it until he drew blood.  And he did that because I saved Emily from his advances.” 

 

“Alright.”  The doctor clipped his case closed and stood, tugging one last time at the bandages to ensure they stayed before he turned to the king.  “Majesty, his wounds are still bleeding slightly, so I’m confining him to bed rest until his wounds are fully healed. I would like to check them again tomorrow if that is alright with you?”

 

“Perfectly fine.”  Leo stared at Vincent, who stood up and helped Leo to his feet, the two hobbling down the hall.

 

“...Why do you care?”  Leo asked when Vincent had him lean against a wall as he opened a wooden door.

 

“Am I not supposed to?”  Vincent murmured as he finally got the door open, pushing it inwards to reveal a dark bedroom with the bed already turned down.

 

“I’m a servant, you’re the -ow, Christ, that hurts- the king.  It doesn’t really make sense.”

 

“I guess you’re right.”  Vincent shrugged and suddenly released Leo, the other man stumbling forward until he collapsed onto the bed, inhaling sharply from the sudden dagger-flare of pain from under his bandages.  “Now, are you going to stop questioning why I’m helping you and just let me do it or do I need to make my point even clearer?”

 

“I’m good, I’m good.”  And with that phrase, Vincent was once again helping Leo into bed, taking a step back once the other man was settled.  

 

“I help you because sometimes I realize that, as King, I don’t always see all parts of the equation, only what others want me to.  I feel like you’re the first person to be truly honest with me in a long time, and I appreciate that much more than you realize.”

 

“Oh, trust me, I’m nothing if not brutally honest.”  Leo laughed but his eyes were already drifting shut. Vincent rolled his own eyes and turned to leave.

 

“Goodnight, Leo.”

 

“...Night, Vincent.”

 

-

 

The next morning, Leo was awoken by the doctor, standing over him and layering his chest with fresh bandages.

 

“Ah, you’re awake!”  The doctor was a very take-no-nonsense man, with thick brown hair swept back from a high forehead and eyes glittering piercingly from behind his thin-rimmed glasses.  “You slept right through my removing your old bandages, which I hope means that it wasn’t as painful for you as it was yesterday.”

 

“It doesn’t hurt as bad.”  Leo confirmed and the doctor nodded, with a quick quirk of his lips that looked more like a smirk than the smile he was probably intending it to be.

 

“Well, his Majesty requested your presence in the Council Room and I am to lead you there on my way back to my own quarters, so up you get.”  The doctor handed Leo a clean shirt and helped him slide and settle it over his bandages before he was off, the black bag containing his tools thumping against his leg as he strode down the stone hall.  Leo lightly jogged to keep up with the man’s brisk pace and nearly slammed into his back when the doctor stopped suddenly in front of a large pair of expertly-polished double doors and turned back to look at Leo.  “Well, sir, this is where we part ways. I shall see you again tomorrow to change your dressings once again, but please do try not to need me until then.”

 

“I’ll do my best.”  Leo chuckled and waited for the doctor to vanish before he rapped on the door.  A moment passed before it swung open, and Leo was face-to-face with a man who looked remarkably similar to Vincent.  

 

“You must be Leo.  The king’s been expecting you.  I’m Crown Prince Gary Moretti, but you can call me Gary.  Don’t call me Gare, or I will make you use my full title.”  Gary waved a finger in Leo’s face threateningly before he laughed and clapped Leo on the back.  “Now, come on, I think my brother’s about to tear his hair out.”

 

Gary wasn’t far off.  Vincent sat leaned back in a wooden chair, his face hidden in his hands as he bickered with Emily, who was sat across from him at a low wooden table.  She paused when she saw Leo and Gary, which made Vincent look at them through his fingers before he smiled.

 

“Gary, think God you’re here!  Can you please explain to Emily that my idea will absolutely work?”

 

“Depends on what your idea’s supposed to do.”  Gary sat heavily in the chair next to Emily and pulled some of the papers strewn across the table towards him, shuffling through them slowly.  “Leo, take a seat. I might need you to sort through some of this legal mumbo-jumbo for me.”

 

“Then I’m the wrong person for the job.”  Leo snarked but sat regardless, gathering his own sheaf of papers.  He began thumbing through them, reading them just like Gary was. “So, Vincent, what is this saying?”

 

“I want to increase the taxes of the nobility but leave them at the same level for the lower classes.”  Leo’s eyes shot up and he gawked at Vincent, who was grinning like he thought he had unearthed gold. 

 

“Good thing they already hate you.”  Gary set down his sheaf and folded his hands under his chin.  “Vinny, I have to tell you that this is-”

 

“A great idea!”  In his excitement, Leo shot to his feet and stepped nearer Vincent, who listened with a warm smile on his face as Leo rambled about various paupers he had known who would benefit from the taxes remaining steady for them.  “...And maybe I could actually afford to feed my kid now!”

 

“Since when do you have a child?”  Gary asked and Leo winced when Vincent turned a confused look on him.  

 

“His mom and I were best friends and the only way we could all survive without starving or dying of disease is if we stayed together.  With this job, I can send money home so she can take care of him.” Leo shuffled nervously before he pointed at the door. “I’m just gonna…”  He didn’t even bother making an excuse, instead just leaving as quickly as humanly possible. As soon as he was far away enough, he groaned and ran his hands through his hair, inhaling and exhaling deeply.  “Good going, moron, now they think you left your kid all alone and chose to come live in some swanky castle.”

 

“Well, that wasn’t exactly what I was thinking.”  Vincent’s voice made Leo yelp, spinning around until the two were facing each other.  “I was mostly wondering why you didn’t bring your boy with you. I can tell you care for him.”

 

“Because I knew he’d be better off with his mom, since I was too busy working.”

 

“Have him come live here.  Hell, bring his mom too.” Vincent shrugged as if he suggested housing servants in a castle everyday.

 

“Vincent, what are you doing?”  Leo threw his hands in the air. “I’m a servant!  You shouldn’t even know I exist, let alone care!” He didn’t realize he had been yelling until he was finished, but it was too late, he realized, leaning back on the stone wall apathetically like he wasn’t puffing for air from his tantrum, to take back what he had said.  And besides, he’d meant every word of it. He wasn’t going to deny that he liked not having to do the menial work of a slave like he had been doing, but the way he and Vincent were dancing around each other was confusing and just gave him a headache.

 

“...I’m not good at interacting with others.”  Vincent admitted finally, folding his hands behind his back as he watched Leo.  “I was raised alone, other than Gary, and even then I’ve always had so much more stress piled upon my shoulders than him.  I guess I was looking for a connection, proof that my kingdom was doing alright even though I couldn’t be out there, right in the thick of it.  Because I want to, but I can’t, because of safety and all that bullshit.” Vincent hissed the last word and kicked the stone wall of the hall, glaring down at his feet like they had decided to kick the wall without his input.  “...But I’m sorry, Leo.”

 

“Don’t apologize to me, your life sounds like shit.”  Vincent snorted even as he glanced up and smiled at Leo.  “Just tell me what you’re thinking when you’re thinking it.  Don’t get all cryptic and weird.”

 

“And what if I like being cryptic and weird?”  Vincent asked, but he was definitely smiling now and some corner of Leo’s mind froze for a moment, curled up in its own corner of his head and just really quietly muttered,  _ oh no. _  But externally, Leo rolled his eyes and grinned in return.

 

“Then just don’t do it to me, alright?”

 

“I think I can manage that.”  Vincent held out his hand. “But only handshakes make things official.”

 

“Jeez, you sound like my kid.”  But regardless, Leo reached out and took Vincent’s hand in his anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. If you liked, lemme know. Questions? Come talk to me on Tumblr. Same username, since I don't know how to do links, lol.


	4. Official and Unofficial Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love! I have several other projects going on, so it may take a while for me to completely finish this one, but it will be done! Warning for slight physical violence!

“So what exactly am I?”  Leo asked one day as he ate breakfast and perused documents with Vincent, Gary, and Emily.  He looked up and met Emily’s eyes before their combined gazes flicked to Vincent, who hid behind his over-sized mug of coffee.  

 

“Human.”  Gary supplied helpfully, spitting bagel crumbs everywhere.  Leo merely rolled his eyes and tossed some scrambled egg back at him.

 

“You know what I mean.  Even the servants have begun wondering what I did to make myself valuable.”

 

“That makes it sound like I bought you.”  Vincent grimaced and Gary began waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

“What did you buy him for, I wonder?”

 

“Oh my god.”  Emily batted him with her newspaper and rolled her eyes before she turned her focus to Leo.  “Listen, Leo. Job titles aren’t always the most important thing. You may be a servant in name, but trust me, it’s safe to say that it’s in name only.  Look out there.” She gestured to the window at the other end of the hall, where the four of them had a view to the city below. “Down there, people like your son’s mother can afford to feed their children because of ow you helped us with the tax plan.  They can think of happiness instead of survival for once. I think that that makes you important.”

 

“Ah, you’re gonna make me blush.”  Leo laughed, but he was still beaming when the other three had to leave for an event in the park.

 

“I would invite you.”  Vincent repeated for the fifth time, apology and anger oozing from his entire frame as he buttoned his cloak in the full-body mirror set in the corner of his study.  “But the entire upper class has fallen into an uproar about the taxing, so I must go out and talk them down from doing something stupid, like a revolt.”

 

“Is there any actual danger of that?”  Leo asked, though he certainly wasn’t expecting Vincent to scoff and shake his head.

 

“These are people who hire servants to feed them.  They’re too lazy to do anything other than complain.  I’ll be back in time for dinner. Can you do me a favor and take a look at the treaty I’m working on for the Bephate Empire, tell me if I made any spelling mistakes or anything?”

 

“Might as well be a glorified secretary.”  Leo rolled his eyes but nodded regardless. “Yeah, I can do that.  Have fun yelling at rich people.”

 

“Probably going to be the best part of my day.”  Vincent swept out of the study with a laugh, leaving Leo to stare at the pile of papers sat on the desk and thump his head into his hands.

 

“Oh, god, what did I get myself into?”  He was saved from answering that question, however, when there was a knock on the door and a servant strode in bearing a tray of food.

 

“The king ordered the kitchen to bring you some lunch, sir.”  The servant lifted the lid off the tray to reveal a spread made of sandwiches, a salad, and a bowl of soup.  “Will this be acceptable?”

 

“More than.”  Leo laughed and gestured to one of the trays of tiny sandwiches.  “Why don’t you take one of these trays back to the kitchen? I’m sure the chefs and others must be hungry, since I know you’re not allowed lunch.”

 

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, sir.”  The servant smiled benignly and dropped the metal lid to the floor, where it landed with a reverberating crash.  Leo’s atttention, however, was focused on the knife that had slid out of the servant’s sleeve, and he ducked when it was hurled into the wall where his head had previously been.  “You see, I’m not actually a servant here. The person really meant to bring you your lunch is in the hallway.”

 

“I really hope that means you didn’t kill them.”  Leo rolled under the desk.

 

“Rest assured, they’re still breathing.  I was only hired to kill the king’s consort.”

 

“His what now?”  Leo poked his head over the desk to glare at his supposed assassin but quickly rescinded it when another knife hurtled towards his face.  “Jesus Christ, I’m not the king’s consort!”

 

“My sources beg to differ.”  The assassin stepped around the desk and reached under, wraping a hand into Leo’s shirt.  Leo surged upwards, taking the assassin with him, and slammed them into the wall. “I promise to make it relatively painless.”

 

“Buddy, I can’t give you that same promise.”  Leo snarled, but the assassin plunged a knife into Leo’s arm, the one pinning them, and his vision went fuzzy around the edges as he stumbled backwards, slamming into the desk.

 

“It’s a shame, really.”  They reached forward and ripped the knife out of Leo’s arm, calmly ignoring his bellow of pain and the curses that followed.  “It seemed like the two of you were very happy.”

 

“Oh, piss off.”  Cradling his arm to his chest, Leo stumbled over the desk and collapsed on the floor behind it.  “I ain’t dying to the likes of you.”

 

“I beg to differ.”  The assassin raised the knife over their head, aiming for Leo’s neck, but the fatal blow never arrived- for Leo, anyway.  Guards flooded in through the door and tackled the assassin to the floor, wresting the knife from their grip. One of the guards helped Leo to his feet with a soft smile.  

 

“Glad you’re okay, sir.”

 

“Only because of your timely arrival.”  Leo runs a hand through his hair and turns to the three or four guards that are shackling the assassin in thick, iron chains.  “Take them to the dungeon. The king will decide their punishment upon his return.”

 

“Yes, sir.”  Several of the guards chorused in unison and led the assassin away, leaving Leo alone in Vincent’s office with an arm wound that was still bleeding sluggishly.  He tore a strip from the hem of his shirt and wrapped it around the stab, tying it off with his teeth. Reclining in Vincent’s chair, Leo sighed and pulled the treaty he had been going to proof-read towards him.

 

-

 

The arrival of the royal carriage was announced several hours later, when Leo had finally finished correcting errors in the essay.  He thanked the servant who had brought him the information and went down to the foyer to greet them. When he and Vincent locked eyes, however, Vincent rushed forward and wrapped Leo in a hug, so tight that Leo almost couldn’t breathe.

 

“What’s this for?”  He laughed and Vincent placed him gently back on his feet.

 

“They told us what happened when we arrived to the protest.”  Vincent looked down and poked at Leo’s bandaged arm, frowning when Leo hissed and jerked it away.  “They said someone had tried to kill you.”

 

“Yes, well, they failed.”  Leo rolled his eyes and grabbed Vincent’s hands.  “Vincent, honestly, I am fine.”

 

“But what if you hadn’t been?”  Over Vincent’s shoulder, Leo watched Emily and Gary disappear down a hall.  “What if they’d killed you?”

 

“Vincent-”

 

“No, Leo, you know it could’ve happened.”

 

“Don’t spend your time worrying about ‘what ifs’ and ‘why nots’.”  Leo tugged sharply on Vincent’s hand, forcing the king to meet his eyes.  “I’m here right now, aren’t I?”

 

“Yes…”  Vincent stared at Leo, with such intensity that Leo had to swallow the urge to take a step back.  “Is this okay?”

 

“Is wh-”  Leo was cut off from asking a question by Vincent kissing him softly, hesitantly.  Just as Vincent was about to pull away, Leo grabbed him by the back of the neck and held on tightly.  They stood there for what felt like an eternity, kissing, until Leo ran out of air in his lungs and had to pull back, gasping quietly.  And even then, they remained standing in the foyer, foreheads resting together. 

 

“I’m not letting you go now.”  Vincent smiled and Leo rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as well.

 

“Well, then good thing I don’t want to go anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked, please lemme know! You can come say hi on Tumblr on @holdyourbreathfornow


	5. An Assignment and a Renouncement

Life was magic now, or as close as Leo thought he could get.  Sure, Gary might roll his eyes and make quiet gagging sounds at breakfast, but Leo didn’t mind, and Vincent just launched rolls across the table with a blinding grin, so he definitely didn’t have anything to complain about.  

 

“So I have to go into town.”  Emily announced one day at breakfast and she smiled at Leo.  “I figured since you’re so handy with assassins, you could tag along as my protection.”

 

“I’m not sure-” Vincent began, but Leo cut him off excitedly with a nod.

 

“Vince, no offense, but I‘ve been going stir-crazy.  This castle is nice and all, but I’m dying for some fresh air.”

 

“Well, that settles that!”  Gary announced and directed a smirk at his brother.  “Can’t exactly say no now, can ya?”

 

“Oh, shut up, Gary.”  Vincent rolled his eyes but then he turned a piercing stare on Leo which made him squirm in his seat.  “Promise you’ll be safe?”

 

“When am I not?” 

 

“When there’s assassins bringing you lunch, darling.”

 

“Fair enough.  I’ll do my best, okay?”

 

“Go ahead and marry the man.”  Gary groaned loudly, reclining back in the plush dining chair and stretching his arms over his head.  “Get outta here, I gotta digest in peace.” Smiling, Leo went over and kissed Vincent on the cheek. 

 

“See you later.”

 

“Goodbye.”

 

-

 

“So what did you have planned?”  Leo asked as he and Emily wandered through the streets, their faces hidden in the shadows the sun cast on their broad-rimmed hats.  

 

“Oh, I was going stir-crazy, too.  I just wasn’t brave enough to say it to His Majesty like you.”  Emily giggled and looped her hands in the crook of Leo’s elbow. “But if you want something to do, you can go entertain yourself while I handle some… Important business.”  Emily’s eyes glittered, even with a lack of direct light, and Leo, at this point, knew her well enough to let her vanish into the crowd. 

 

He sighed and glanced around, wondering what to do.  A sudden hiss from a nearby alley gained his attention and he turned his head to look.  Wolf stood there, staring at him from the darkness.

 

“Lion!  C’mere!”

 

“Wolf, what the hell are you doing?”  Leo questioned and walked to Wolf. Suddenly, the older man grabbed Leo and dragged him deeper into the alley.  

 

“It’s time to receive your true assignment.”  Wolf whispered into Leo’s ear with a nervous giggle.  “Are you close with the king?”

 

“In… A way. “  Leo murmured, leaning away from Wolf slightly.  

 

“Excellent, Harvey will love that.  Here.” He pressed something into Leo’s hand and the man pulled back to properly examine it.  It was a knife, wrapped in leather so he could tie it round himself.

 

“What the fuck, Wolf?!”  Leo cried and threw the knife back at the criminal, who scowled and began lifting Leo’s shirt up, reaching forward to forcibly tie it around Leo’s chest, tight enough that Leo couldn’t breathe properly, the wound in his arm complaining as he struggled in Wolf’s insanely tight grip.  He knew that Wolf had never been all there, but this was a new low. 

 

“I suggest you let the poor man go.”  Emily’s voice drawled and Wolf turned towards the woman, who was casually aiming a pistol at him with a feral grin.  “Or else I’ll just have to try out my new toy.”

 

“This is none of your business, woman!”  Wolf howled but his grip around Leo’s chest loosened enough that the man could squirm free and rip the knife off his body, tossing it and watching it skid across the rough dirt of the alleyway.  Emily’s grin grew wider, which didn’t seem humanly possible, and she dodged out of the way when Wolf dived for her with hands outstretched.

 

“Finally, something to entertain me!  Leo, it would probably be best if you stayed out of the way for this one.”  She didn’t even wait for Leo’s acknowledgement, instead sliding the pistol into a holster on her hip and settling into a wrestling stance, her hands fitting smoothly under Wolf’s armpit and lightly hauling him off balance.  Leo winced when the criminal went crashing through the wood of a vendor’s stall and nodded warily to the vendor who pushed past him, bellowing vulgar curses at the top of their ragged lungs. When Wolf twitched but otherwise didn’t move from the wreckage, Emily stretched her hands far above her head, her vertebrae crackling loudly as she rid her body of any tension it had gained during her fight.  

 

“Now…”  She turned to Leo, who gulped warily when he noticed a dangerous glint still lingering in her pale gaze.  “Why don’t you tell me exactly what that was all about?” 

 

-

 

“You have to tell Vincent.”  Emily murmured over her shotglass, sitting next to Leo at one of the shadier bars in town, gaze wide in fading disbelief.  “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure I believe you when you say you never planned to harm him, but it’s obvious you two are in this together, regardless of how healthy it is or isn’t.”

 

“Damn, you sound like a psychiatrist.”  Leo laughed, sipping at his own liquor. “I’m scared what he’ll say, Emily.  I’m a criminal and he’s the frigging King!”

 

“Maybe not so loud.”  Emily hissed and glanced around.  “But it was what you had to do to get by, Leo.  He has to understand that, right?”

 

“He has to understand he screwed a criminal?”  Another voice asked, soundng shocked, and Leo pivoted in his seat, coming face-to-face with Gary, who had his sword drawn, pointed straight at Leo’s heart.  “Leo Caruso, on authority of Monroevia, I am placing you under arrest for crimes against the Crown.”

 

“Gary, what the fuck are you doing?”  Emily got to her feet, her shotglass shattering on the ground when her hand jostled it.

 

“My job, Emily.  Be thankful I don’t arrest you for potential alliance with a criminal element.”  Gary shackled Leo, who stared at Emily with wide eyes, her gaze matching his. “Let’s go, scum.”

 

Emily watched as Leo exhaled, tension and stress dragging his shoulders down and adding years to the way he looked, resigned to his fate as it arrived.  She bit her tongue until Gary and his sparkly new prisoner had left the bar, then lifted her stool, throwing it across the bar with a bellowed curse, growling more obscenities under her breath as she stormed out of the bar.


	6. Justice Blinded, Vengeance Seeking

The prison was freezing cold and the other prisoners had long since stripped Leo of his overcoat, shirt, and pants out of sheer cruelty, leaving him curled in on himself, back pressed to a freezing stone wall as he hugged himself, trying to regain warmth.

 

“Heard you’re a traitor to the King.”  The guard bearing his meal started conversation later and Leo didn’t dignify the woman with a response as she held out the tray of food to him.  “Speak when you’re spoken to, prisoner.”

 

“I didn’t betray anyone.”  Leo defended himself quietly, not making eye contact with the woman as he reached out for his tray of food, only for her to yank it just beyond his reach with a malicious smile.

 

“Little piece of garbage thinks he can eat?  Nah, man, traitors to the throne don’t get to eat in my prison.”

 

“Please.”  Leo met her eyes and resisted the urge to flinch at the way they sparkled with unadulterated hatred.  “Please, I’m innocent.”

 

“No, you’re not.  Lying deserves punishment.”  Suddenly, the woman opened Leo’s cell door with a key from a chain around her waist and swung it wide, taking a single step inside, Leo crawling backwards until his back touched the wall.  Her grin got even wider and she hurled the full tray of food at Leo, laughing when he screeched in pain and shock. The metal of the tray sliced Leo’s forehead and blood doused his vision a sticky red.  It poured quickly and violently from the tiny slice and as Leo grew weaker, the guard locked the door to his cell once again and left Leo cold, alone, and so very, painfully scared.

 

-

 

“Your Majesty!”  Emily stormed into the courtroom, ignoring the burbling of conversation that sprang up from nobles personally offended at the intrusion and peasants simply curious as to what was happening.  Vincent looked startled from his seat on his throne and the noble who had been kneeling before him rose to ‘grace’ Emily with a snooty huff. “Urgent news.”

 

“Speak.”  Vincent urged but Emily shook her head, glancing at the crowd that felt as if it was pressing closer to her.  

 

“News unsuitable for the mass’ ears, Sire, my apologies.”

 

“Leave us.”  With his booming voice echoing around the hall, every noble and peasant alike was quick to obey until only Vincent and Emily remained, alone.  

 

“What is it, Emily?  Where’s Leo?”

 

“That’s what I have to tell you.”  Emily cut him off and noticed distantly that her own hands had curled into fists so tight the nails were beginning to draw blood.  “He has been arrested and thrown into Stone Hall… At the hands of your own brother.”

 

“Why?!”  Vincent leapt off his throne, shoulders squared in barely-contained fury.  

 

“Sit down, Sire, it’s a long story.”  Emily waited until the King scrubbed his hands through his hair and resettled himself in his throne before she took a deep breath and began.

 

“Leo Caruso is a criminal who became a criminal out of necessity, which would be keeping his family healthy and happy.  And from there, Sire, it snowballed. He was cornered by another criminal in the alleys today who tried to forcibly strap a knife to Leo and told him to kill you with it.  Leo renounced his friend and the others no doubt still out in the city, but your brother overheard Leo asking me for advice and promptly arrested him.”

 

“He’s a… Criminal?”  Vincent looked shell-shocked but Emily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“He’s a good man in a bad situation, Vincent.  And isn’t that exactly what you’re hoping to change with all of these new laws?  Freeing people so they may do good once again?”

 

“You’re right.  I’m a fool to doubt him and his intentions.”  When Vincent smiled, Emily did too… Until the door banged open and Gary stormed in, followed by two of his knights.

“Vincent, I-”  He cut himself off and stared at Emily, lip curling in disgust.  “Oh joy, the wench is here.” 

 

“Explain to me what you’ve done.”  Vincent demanded and Gary huffed.

 

“He was going to kill you, Vincent.  He deserves to rot in Stone Hall.”

 

“Leo renounced his friends!”  Emily cried heatedly and flipped Gary off passionately.  “And all because he didn’t want to kill Vincent.”

 

“He never loved you, Vinny, he was using you for power, and so is Emily!”

 

“Truly you are a fool.”  Vincent muttered, lacing his hands under his chin coldly.  “Do not presume to turn me against others with only your words and no proof of their deeds.”

 

“Leo was a bastard who was corrupting the kingdom we were going to build!”  Gary screeched and Emily saw Gary’s two knights slowly beginning to draw their swords.  She whipped her pistol out of its holster and pointed it at one of the knights. Quick as lightning, Gary revealed his own hidden firearm, aiming it at his own brother’s face.  Vincent went still with wide, hurt eyes. “I could’ve kept you on the straight and narrow, Vinny. The nobility know how we should run this kingdom, they’ve been teaching me their ways!”

 

“The ways of oppression.”  Vincent protested softly. “The ways of an age too outdated for my reign, Gary.”

 

“Then your reign needs to end!”  Gary’s face grew red-hot and he cocked the gun, the sound causing a thrill of fear to sprint down Emily’s back.  Gary went to pull the trigger and-

 

BANG!  

 

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the courtroom.

 

But Gary was the one with the bullet in him.  Tears tracked down his face as he dropped his gun, hands coming up to cup the pulsing wound in his chest.  Vincent’s own eyes were teary as well, still focused on the sight of his pistol. 

 

“We were… Going to be great.”  Gary murmured and crumpled to the floor like a candle flame blown out suddenly.  As he lay there, his two knights fled and both Vincent and Emily reholstered their weapons.  Vincent descended his throne and crouched by his younger brother’s unseeing eyes, sliding them closed with two feather-soft fingers.

 

“We never could agree, Gary.  And I am sorry for that.” Vincent remained kneeling by his brother for a moment longer before he sighed and got to his feet, readjusting his crooked crown as his eyes hardened with determination.

 

“Now let’s go save Leo.”

 

-

 

The cold was causing him to hallucinate, Leo was certain.  His fingers had long since gone blue and he didn’t even bother curling into himself anymore, all energy gone, with not enough left to even acknowledge his imminent death.  He laid stretched out in the middle of his cell, knowing that he would die there. His son knelt by his head and pressed lips Leo couldn’t feel to Leo’s forehead. The man was fully prepared to burst into tears but instead he just smiled softly.  

 

“Man of the house…”  He croaked and Alex laughed before his form wavered and vanished.

 

-

 

“Where is Leo Caruso?”  Vincent demanded of the jailer, who rolled her eyes with a scoff, pulling her scarf up to hide her malicious smirk.

 

“Why does His Majesty wish to see his betrayer?”

 

“Because I love him, damn you, now where is he?”  The jailer’s eyes went wide and she stuttered nervously when she next spoke.  

 

“C-cell block C, Highness.”

 

“Watch her.”  Vincent instructed Emily, who nodded and fixed the jailer with a piercing stare, one the cruel woman began to sweat under.

 

-

 

Leo was dreaming, or hallucinating, either one of those was a good option for his mother kneeling over him with a warm washcloth, dabbing his forehead as she sang a lullaby Leo hadn’t realized he still remembered from his childhood.  He tried to hum along but she shushed him with a smile and once again swiped the cloth across his face.

 

“My boy, you’re a good man.  You’ve had a son, you’ve served a king, you’ve fallen in love…”  His mother leaned over and kissed him on the forehead and warmth seeped through his body from the contact like wine spreading through water.  “I love you, darling. It’s your time.” Leo whined in the back of his throat as she sat back on her heels, staring at him with her kaleidoscpic eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light of the dungeon.  “Don’t argue with your mother, boy.”

 

“...I refuse.”  Leo whispered, thinking of his son, of Vincent and Emily, of everything he had gained despite the losses, and his conviction was strong, even if his body was weak.

 

His mother flickered like an image on the water, shuffling through several appearances of herself, Vincent, Alex, and others who blinked away too fast for Leo to recognize.

 

“Very well.”  The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall and Leo’s mother smiled at him again.  “Then be strong. And fight!”

 

-

 

Prisoners groaned and cried out as Vincent darted past, but he knew he could not stop, breath fogging in front of his eyes from the chill.  If he was dressed in full regalia and still cold, how was Leo faring? Vincent didn’t slow, skidding to a stop when he found his dear’s cell and peering inside worriedly.

 

The cell was empty, at first glance, only a bundle of clothes tossed carelessly into a corner.  Vincent would’ve moved on if not for the sudden sound of Leo’s voice, mumbling dazedly from the bundle.  Swearing under his breath, Vincent threw the door open and flew in, tugging his love from his position against the wall and into Vincent’s arms.  Leo’s skin burned, white-hot with fever, through Vincent’s gloves and he was too weak to even raise his hands, fumbling to curl his fingers into the soft fur of Vincent’s outfit.

 

“So sorry.”  Vincent murmured and ripped the fur from its fastenings, draping it around Leo like a blanket, or a funeral shroud.  “I’m here now, dearest. You’re coming home.” Vincent stood from the cold stone of the cell and carried Leo out, not looking back.

 

In the front, Emily gasped as she saw the state Leo was in, before she turned on the jailer and curled her fists into the jailer’s tunic, slamming the cruel woman into the stone wall behind her.

 

“I will have your dignity hung on my wall like the pelt of the lowest animal.”  With that, she released the woman and trailed after Vincent as he swept from the prison, headed for the castle and all healers employed there.  “Vincent, is he-?”

 

“He will live.”  Vincent spat fiercely, entire body thrumming with furious energy.  “Or I will drag him back from whatever life comes next. I refuse to lose everyone I love, Emily.”

 

“Yes, Sire.”  The two remained silent s the shadow of the castle loomed over them, foreboding and dark and with a total lack of a homely aura.

 

-

 

The healers worked night and day for an entire day, Leo lingering on the brink of death and Vincent stayed by his side as often as possible.  Eventually, the healers would be forced to shoo him from the room, used to couples that refused to separate and yet were out of necessity. 

 

Vincent did not mourn his brother’s death in the public eye, instead he created new laws that would benefit the poor as swiftly as a race horse running for some utopian goal.  He was not in Leo’s room, the man having been moved there for comfort, when Leo awoke, though a servant fetched him almost immediately.

 

“I’m so sorry.”  Were the first words out of Leo’s mouth as soon as Vincent stepped into the room, and the king smiled, settling into the chair at Leo’s bedside and taking his hand in both of Vincent’s.  “What are you doing? I’m a criminal.”

 

“No, you were a man trying to survive.”  Vincent murmured. “Any crime you committed was never done with malice or hate, but instead born of necessity, and I find I cannot fault you for that.”

 

“Your brother-”

 

“Was a traitor who tried to kill me.”  Leo coughed in shock and Vincent squeezed his hand gently.  “Breathe, darling.”

 

“That bastard tried to kill you?”  Leo rasped and Vincent nodded calmly.  “I’ll slit his throat, I swear-”

 

“No need.”  Leo looked confused, until Vincent smiled at him again.  “I have you.” There was a moment’s pause before Leo’s face erupted into a fierce blush.  

 

“If I had my way, we would be together forever.”  Leo muttered and leaned forward, bringing the two’s lips together in a soft kiss.

 

“Don’t worry,” Vincent sighed and beamed.  “I’ll fight to make sure we are.”

 

“And so will I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like all good things, this must come to an end.  
> But what a ride! I hope you all enjoyed, because I sure did!  
> Love you!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked, lemme know! You can contact me on tumblr under the same username! Kisses!


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